Meet the Cast
A Note on Characters
We know that The Unbearable Lightness of Being can seem like a bit too much, from the title on forward. Between the tricky narrator and the strange mix of philosophy and fiction, this novel can be...
Tomas
Tomas and his Many WomenTomas is a 40-year-old surgeon living in Prague at the start of the novel. He's maintained a lifestyle of perpetual and fortified bachelorism best summed up in his rule of t...
Tereza
When we take a look at Tomas's character, we find that he is a great jumping off point for discussions of es muss sein and einmal ist keinmal. Similarly, Tereza is our gateway to Kundera's discussi...
Sabina
Sabina, Kitsch, and BetrayalWe have two big ideas to discuss when thinking about Sabina: kitsch, and betrayal. Before we start, you should go ahead and read what we have to say about kitsch in "Sym...
Franz
The big idea for us to discuss when thinking about Franz is the Grand March of History. The narrator introduces the concept early in Part 3. Franz, the bookish professor, fetishizes the drama of po...